Chapter Twenty-Two
Never had Carter been too stunned to react. Until now. Disbelief froze him to the spot.
That couldn’t be Beth, his Beth, threatening Mikala with a blaster.
In his peripheral vision, he caught sight of Kai Andros, March Fellows, and an Aym-Sec guard moving in. His cyborg side snapped into command mode. Deal with what is. He suppressed his human emotions and focused on the enemy combatant.
“Don’t anyone…come any closer or…I’ll kill her,” she growled. She must have tightened her chokehold because Mikala gagged and clawed at Beth’s arm.
What the hell? Andros messaged.
What the hell indeed.
Beth’s eyes jerked as she scanned the assembly area. Searching for him? Or getting a lay of the arena? He retreated to blend against the wall. I’ll circle around behind her, he communicated to Andros and March.
Voices in all languages babbled in confusion. Ambassadors and aides jumped to their feet, some to gawk, but others in alarm, and panic began to build. Carter could feel it. So could his team. In the tiers, his Aym-Sec and cyborg force moved through the crowd, trying to maintain order and prevent a stampede.
He set his blaster to stun, and, hugging the perimeter, he scooted around to get closer.
“You don’t want to do this. Why don’t you give me the weapon, please?” Vincere extended his hand and inched toward Beth.
No, don’t do that. The idiot would get himself killed. Beth’s eyes were jiggling around in their sockets like she had no control over them. Her mouth worked with a grimace. “Don’t come…any closer!”
“This isn’t you,” Vincere said. “You’re not this kind of person.”
“Stop right there. I’ll sh-shoot her. I s-swear.”
An Aym-Sec guard edged in from the side.
“Why would you shoot Mikala? You like Mikala.” Vincere spoke in a low, soothing voice. “Why don’t you hand me the weapon?”
“No! Stop!” She dragged the blaster from Mikala’s temple and pointed it at him.
The Aym-Sec guard lunged.
She whipped around and fired.
The officer’s body bowed in half backward, and he fell to the floor in convulsions. People in the tiers close enough to witness the shooting surged for the exits like a pack of frightened yacuni. Security staff formed a block to hold them back. If they rushed the floor, there was no telling what Beth would do. It could turn into a massacre. Stop her. Have to stop her. Carter ran.
With the weapon no longer at her temple, Mikala stomped on Beth’s foot. No, Mikala! He cried out silently. Jabbing her elbow hard into Beth’s stomach, Mikala broke free.
Beth raised the weapon.
“No, Beth!” Vincere shouted.
The blast hit Mikala in the back, and she collapsed.
Carter’s cybervision zeroed in on the weapon. With a flick of her thumb, Beth switched the setting to the highest intensity.
What have I done? He’d screwed up so badly. He’d hired her, taken her into his confidence, trained her. She didn’t know everything, but what she had heard and seen could destroy Cy-Ops. He had no idea who the hell she was or why she was doing this, but one thing was certain. They’d been set up.
If possible, take her alive so we can question her, he ordered. But, if you have to, terminate her. A gap opened up in his heart. He couldn’t believe he’d just given his men permission to kill the woman he loved. Thought I loved. She’s a traitor. An assassin.
Understood…his cyborgs responded.
Andros closed in, March right behind him. Carter raced as quickly as he could while trying not to draw attention.
Beth brandished the blaster, motioning at Mikala. “Take her,” she ordered Vincere.
“What?” he asked.
“Stop stalling. Pick up the president and carry her.”
In position now, Andros aimed his photon blaster.
“Get the president. Now!” Beth shouted and waved the weapon at Vincere.
The secretary general raised his hands and backed away inadvertently blocking Andros’s shot. “Please…this can still end peacefully,” he said. “Everything will be okay.”
Carter cursed. Only Vincere could manage to be a needed distraction and an impediment.
Beth’s mouth twisted as if she had Tourette’s. “Carry her or I’ll…kill you.” Her finger caressed the trigger.
Vincere knelt beside Mikala, clearing the shot.
Andros took aim again.
A panicked ambassador’s aide leaped from the tier, falling into Andros. The cyborg’s shot whizzed over Beth’s head and lit the wall red. She aimed and fired. Andros went down.
“What have you done?” Vincere cried, and hurriedly slung Mikala’s limp body over his shoulder. Beth rushed at him and shoved her weapon against his back. “Go…go…go.” She prodded him toward the exit.
Abandoning his cover, Carter ran, raising his own blaster. I’m going to have to shoot her. He felt sick.
Beth spun around. Using Vincere and Mikala as a shield, she aimed over the secretary general’s shoulder. A red bead danced on Carter’s chest.
Her mouth twisted. “Carter Aymes…such a worthy…a-a-adversary…good…good…” She jerked her head. “Good”—tears ran from her eyes—“bye.”
She fired.